This invention relates to certain particulate clay compositions and to articles and methods for treating fabrics therewith. In a preferred mode, particulate clays releasably combined with a dispensing means are used in an automatic clothes dryer to soften and impart anti-static benefits to the fabrics concurrently with a drying operation.
Treating fabrics in an automatic clothes dryer has recently been shown to be an effective means for conditioning and imparting desirable tactile properties thereto. In particular, it is becoming common to soften fabrics in an automatic clothes dryer rather than during the rinse cycle of a laundering operation. Treating fabrics in the dryer, rather than in the wash, enables the formulator of fabric conditioners to develop and use materials which may not be compatible with detergents. Moreover, the user of dryer-added conditioners is not compelled to make the special effort required with many rinse-added products.
The art-disclosed dryer-added fabric softeners and conditioners use various organic chemicals as the active conditioning agents. These agents, in turn, are based on petrochemicals. In light of the short supply of petroleum-based feedstocks needed to prepare the organic softeners and fabric conditioners, it would be desirable to provide inorganic agents which can be employed to soften and condition fabrics.
The present invention is based on the discovery that certain clay minerals can be applied to fabrics either from an aqueous bath or in a clothes dryer to impart desirable softness and anti-static benefits thereto.
It is an object of the present invention to condition fabrics (i.e., soften and provide anti-static benefits).
It is another object herein to provide articles which can be added to a clothes dryer to condition fabrics concurrently with a drying operation.
These and other objects are obtained herein as will be seen from the following disclosure.